In this section we hope to advice you on the traits and qualities that will best help advance your career. We will present you with resources that will guide you to gain a better position in your organisation.
A career for most is the most important thing in their life and it requires just as much dedication and perseverance. But it also requires the correct tools. Making the right decision at the right time makes the whole difference. To stay ahead in the competition one has to constantly work at one's skills and improve his/her capabilities. One has to be aware of one's strengths and weaknesses and constantly work to turn the latter into the former.
Focusing on the following requirements will prove to be very useful:

Job profile: choosing a job profile is the first and most important requisite in career planning. A job profile is the nature of the job/industry you wish to work in. One has to figure out one's skills and talents and see which industry suits one the best. This helps the candidate realize just how much justification he/she can do to the job.

Resume making: your resume is the most important thing for landing the perfect job. A resume depicts a lot about the candidate which is later verified at successive stages of the selection process. The resume should highlight the relevant skills and degrees which are consistent with the job. Create a resume that will sell you. If required, get a professionally written resume. Don't send out a resume until it is a strong sales tool that represents you. Getting professional help regarding your resume is always advised. Read up on how to write a resume properly to make sure you have all the requisite details.

Analysis of capabilities: an in-depth analysis of your capabilities should be done. The first step is to figure out which skill-set you belong to. Skill-set basically means the combination of interests and talents which help you shine in a particular field. It is based on this skill-set and personal interest that you should decide which career to pursue.

Set career goals: it is very important to know what you want to achieve for yourself. You must always set a goal for yourself. It may be different for different people. For an individual working in a company it may be to become the vice-president. Or for a writer to make it to the best-seller list. Whatever your goal may be, be sure to set a time-limit for yourself. A given period of time within which you have to achieve your goals. Make sure you have the back-up to achieve your goal. It may be financial aid, or educational qualifications. It is important to have ascertained just what you need before you set out to achieve your goals.

Understanding the work: once you have selected a job profile and set a goal, you must try to understand the nature of the work required from you. You have to ask yourself if you possess the right skills needed for this job and whether it is enough and if it isn't then you must hone your skills and work hard to make sure you are the best.

Honing your interview skills: even once your resume gets selected that does not mean you have the job. The interview is a place where the employer can actually question and assess the employee. The candidate can prepare himself/herself for different types of interviews and read up on tips to prepare for an interview.

Personalized approach: one must aim to have a personalised approach when dealing with any situation in the job-hunting process. For example during the interview, don't follow guidelines from a book or take advice from a friend if you're not comfortable with it. Whatever approach you use, it must represent who you are as a person.

The very basic is to know what you actually want. What kind of a company are you ready to work in? Which work culture will enable you to perform? The people you want to work with. Do you want them to be behaving formally or you want to work in a fun place? What kind of a work profile do you want? Do you wish to be a leader or a follower? What are the roles and responsibilities you want to take? How strong is your emotional quotient for some not so desirable work situations? What kind of benefits and compensation you want from the company? Answering all these questions will enable you to craft the prefect approach for yourself.

Extracurricular activities: the final thing is to make sure to have some fun too. We've all heard the saying- "all work and no play makes jack a dull boy." That can be true for you too. Companies nowadays prefer individuals who can prove their versatility and make the workplace a more vibrant space. Activities like debates and extempore also display your latent qualities such as how you can make your presence felt in a crowd, your ability to handle people etc.

Nowadays career-hunts demand that an individual have that extra edge that sets him/her apart from the others. We hope we helped you achieve that edge.